


The Silent Child

by poipole



Series: Journeys and Destinations [1]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Bad Parenting, Blood Magic, Canon-Typical Violence, Death in Childbirth, F/M, Heavy Angst, M/M, Ostwick Circle, Pre-Canon, Rite of Tranquility
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-12
Updated: 2017-11-13
Packaged: 2019-02-01 11:16:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,379
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12703899
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/poipole/pseuds/poipole
Summary: Samuel Trevelyan had always been an odd child. It was only after it was discovered Samuel was a mage that his father realized just howoddthe boy truly was.





	1. Chapter 1

**9:12 Dragon**

The baby didn't cry and for a terrible moment Bann Trevelyan thought he had lost his child too. His wife lay motionless on the bed covered in her own blood, but the loss he had already suffered paled in comparison to the loss he might suffer if the baby Charlotte had died for passed with her. The healers who had been frantically trying to save Charlotte moments ago had now rushed to tend to the baby. Bann watched frozen in place as blood was wiped from the child before a healer blocked him from view. He waited for the baby to start crying, to show some sign of life, but nothing ever came.

The silence was finally broken when the healer in charge turned. She looked tired and quite confused, but the lack of grim sadness that had flashed upon her face when Charlotte had finally breathed out one final rasping breath was thankfully absent. "The baby is healthy."

"Is it a boy or a girl?" Bann asked, his words came out in a soft croak. 

"A boy," the healer replied giving him a sympathetic look.

It was only after confirmation that the child would live that Bann finally allowed him to mourn the death of his beautiful wife. It seemed unreal that Charlotte could give birth to five healthy children and then die so terribly giving birth to her sixth. At some point his son was handed to him while the healers and servants began to move Charlotte's body. The little boy was still silent, but his warmth was almost comforting.

Charlotte had been so set on the names for the baby. Isidore or Samuel. He had planned to argue for other names after the birth, but in the knowledge he would never be able to, the name Charlotte had set aside for their son suddenly sounded much nicer. Charlotte was gone. Charlotte would never know he settled on her name. Charlotte would never know their son...

None of it felt real until Bann finally forced himself to look away from his dead wife and down to his living child. The baby had her eyes. A stony grey-blue that had not been inherited by any of the couple's other children.

Bann Trevelyan began to weep.

The child in his arms remained silent.

* * *

  **9:13 Dragon**

Magdalena was four years only, only three when her mother passed, but her age didn't stop her from understanding the pain her father had been in since her mother went away. Herfather rarely left his study, completely engrossing himself in his work. It made Magdalena very sad. She could barely remember how happy life had been before her Mother had passed, but she knew it had been. Marcellus remembered it much better, he was ten when their mother passed. He blamed little Samulet for the happiness going away. Magdalena wasn't sure who she blamed, but she wanted her father's hurt to go away so she could bring that happiness back. 

Perhaps if her father would open the door to his study, she could help.

"Magdalena, it's time for dinner!" Before the child could even consider trying to get her father's attention, she was scooped up in the arms of a servant. "I told you to wait in the dining room with your siblings. You're such a little troublemaker."

Magdalena wasn't trying to start trouble, she was trying to  _help_. 

Any thoughts of protest or of her father died when the smell of freshly cooked food hit her nose.

* * *

**9:14 Dragon**

Marcellus Trevelyan had wanted to be a templar for as long as he could remember. The Trevelyan family had always been close to the Chantry and many members of Marcellus's family made the choice to be a templar. Marcellus planned to follow in their footsteps.

Pausing in the middle of the dark hallway that connected Marcellus's room to the rest of the house -- more specifically connected his room to that of his younger sister's, Regina's -- he realized templars had to be brave. 

Marcellus wasn't brave.

Marcellus was a little boy sneaking to his sister's room for protection because he was afraid of the dark. He was eleven, he decided, he was far too old to be scared of the dark. Anyways, unbeknownst to his father or any of the servants he kept a dagger in the drawer of his bedside table. Anything lurking in the dark would have to deal with a brave future templar. The thought filled him with a strange sort of confidence.

He turned to move back into his room, but leapt back when he saw a small, shadowy figure standing at the end of the hallway.

"Get away!" He yelped in a very unintimidating manner.

The shadowy figure at the end of the hallway let out an equally surprised yelp and proceeded to fall down. It was then Marcellus realized exactly what the shadowy figure was and he had never felt more ashamed in his entire life.

"Samuel, what are you doing out of bed?" He groaned.

The three year old looked up at him, tears falling down his cheeks.

"I didn't mean to scare you Samuel, I just wasn't expecting to see you there. Let me take you back to your bedroom." Marcellus reached out to grab his younger brother, but the boy jerked away clumsily getting back to his feet and stumbling over to support himself with the wall.

Marcellus would have felt hurt if he wasn't already perfectly aware that his younger brother held a special sort of distaste for him. He narrowed his eyes, fine, let him get caught out of bed and punished. That wasn't Marcellus's problem. With that he strode back to his bedroom closing the door quietly behind him. At the end of the day, he supposed templars didn't need younger brothers anyways.

As he lay in bed staring into the darkness, he felt the full force of his shame. He had been frightened by a  _toddler_. He wasn't brave...he was a coward...

Marcellus Trevelyan wasn't a templar quite yet.

* * *

  **9:15 Dragon**

"Father, can I come with you? Please? Nothing ever happens here, Mother Jessamine says we're supposed to learn things through travel, but I never travel! Please can I come with you?"

Lucienne stared up at her father, hazel eyes welling with fake tears. She forced her lip to quiver, trying as hard as she could to look as upset as physically possible. Despite her best efforts, her father didn't seem convinced.

"I'm going to Orlais for work, Lucienne, it's a long journey by ship you wouldn't enjoy it," Bann replied. "And I doubt Mother Jessamine would want you pulled away from your education for a week."

"I really don't think she'd mind," Lucienne lied half expecting the Mother of the Ostwick Chantry to come scold her for trying to deceive her father. 

Bann, once again, seemed unconvinced. "Stop begging it's unbecoming. You're not going anywhere and right now you're disrupting my work, I have to meet with some very important people within the hour and I doubt they'd appreciate my bringing along a whining little brat."

Lucienne took a step back. "Father I-"

Bann glared down at his eight-year-old daughter. "You need to learn respect."

Lucienne nodded, real tears threatening to spill down her face. "Of course, I'm sorry Father."

"I'm only doing what's best for you," Bann sighed. "The Trevelyan name will only take you so far, you need to learn you won't always get your way."

Lucienne nodded again, but she was only half listening. She was very unused to not getting absolutely everything she wanted and right now what she wanted to do more than anything else was to go to Orlais. Her father would be setting out to visit the city on business the following day and she wanted nothing more than to go with him.

"I'm sorry," Lucienne repeated. At the end of the day, she really wasn't. The only person that should be sorry was him.

* * *

  **9:16 Dragon**

"Come on now Sammy, say Regina!" 

Marcellus rolled his eyes watching as his younger sister grinned down at the pair's brother.

"I don't know why you keep trying," Marcellus sighed. "He's probably a mute."

Eleven-year-old Regina turned around to glare. "Don't you dare say that! Samuel is just a bit delayed is all, he's waiting to speak until he has something worth while to speak about." She turned back to coo at her Four-year-old little brother. "Isn't that right?"

The little boy smiled and nodded.

"Then you'd better give him something worth talking about," Marcellus replied.

"We're starting small," Regina clipped back. "Don't mind him Samuel, you're doing your best! Just say Regina!"

"Andorra is only a year older and she was talking by the time she was two," Marcellus commented. "If he was going to start, I'd assume he'd have done it by now."

Regina ignored him and continued to speak softly to the toddler trying to encourage something,  _anything_ , out of him.

"Will you be quiet Marcellus?" Lucienne grumbled from where she sat on a garden bench just a little bit away. "Your whining is more annoying than Regina trying to get Samuel to talk."

Marcellus crossed his arms and glared at his feet.

Regina laughed. "Are you pouting now Marcellus? Here I thought Samuel was the baby."

Marcellus only heard the laughter of all three of his siblings echoing around the garden of the Trevelyan estate as he marched back inside. He hated his siblings.

* * *

  **9:17 Dragon**

"Father is going to Tevinter."

Lucienne's blood ran cold. "What? Why would he go there? The magisters are _evil_."

Magdalena shrugged, more focused on the picture she was drawing than the conversation with her older sister. "I heard the servants talking about it earlier. They don't tend to notice me when I'm drawing, they think I'm not listening."

"Magdalena why would he go to Tevinter?" Lucienne pressed forgetting about the lunch she'd been eating before Magdalena's comment. "What else did you hear?"

"I think it's about Samuel," Magdalena replied. "I really don't know, I don't think the servants did either." 

"I'm going to go tell Marcellus," Lucienne muttered getting up off the dining table and rushing out the door.

Magdalena sighed, continuing her drawing. She really hadn't meant to make Lucienne so worried, she just wanted to have a conversation. 

"Oh well," she mumbled to no one in particular reaching over the table to take her sister's forgotten sandwich.

* * *

**9:18 Dragon**

Bann Trevelyan had grown cold over the years. In retrospect, this should have happened very long ago. Growing up in a noble family meant sacrifices to maintain appearances and the soft man he had been a mere six years ago was just not suited for any sort of politics.

Bann now. Well, he'd grown to a certain politic prominence he had never thought possible. Admittedly, being stoic and uncaring helped quite a bit while playing the political game.

There was only one thing he felt was holding him back from his full potential. One thing that he couldn't stand to rid himself of.

But perhaps, he could fix it.

"I don't want to go," Samuel said softly clinging to the rail of the ship to impede his father's attempts to get him to disembark the ship.

“You know you have to," Bann replied in the gentlest voice he could manage. "The magisters are helping you, I know you don't like it neither do I, but it's your only option."

"I don't want to go," Samuel repeated. "They make my mind fuzzy."

"Samuel," Bann switched his methods trying to force his voice to be as stern as possible. "It's time to go."

Samuel responded by reaching out and touching his father's hand lightly. 

_Samuel flinched as the magister drew closer. The hooded figure towering over him was perhaps the one thing he feared the most._

_"It's a shame." The man said so quietly Samuel could hardly hear him. Samuel closed his eyes. He knew what was coming. He didn't want it to come. He heard the incantation spoken softly above him and he felt the warm, sticky blood hit his forehead._

_The pain came in waves. It felt like electricity jolting through his veins and ending in his mind where the pain bubbled up and burned. His thoughts, his mind, it felt like it was all melting. He felt a scream tumble out of his mouth, but he couldn't hear it above the ringing in his eyes._

Bann jolted back. "I've told you,  _don't do that_."

"I don't want to go," Samuel said a third time. "It hurts, they make my my mind fuzzy."

Bann glared down at his son before sucking in a sharp breath and yanking the boy roughly off the rail. Samuel let out a small scream.

"No!" He shouted. "I don't want to go! No!"

His cries fell upon death ears, just like they always did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This probably doesn't make a whole lot of sense without the context you'll get in the next chapter, whoops.
> 
> Since ages might be a little confusing because of timeskips:  
> Marcellus was born in 9:02 Dragon (16 as of the last timeskip)  
> Regina was born in 9:04 Dragon (14 as of the last timeskip)  
> Lucienne was born in 9:07 Dragon (11 as of the last timeskip)  
> Magdalena was born in 9:09 Dragon (9 as of the last timeskip)  
> Andorra was born in 9:11 Dragon (7 as of the last timeskip)  
> Samuel was born in 9:12 Dragon (6 as of the last timeskip)
> 
> This story will probably end around the time Samuel is 18!


	2. Chapter 2

**9:20 Dragon**

Samuel saw the way she looked at him, the elf boy who would sold weapons in the marketplace. Her eyes would grow soft, her mouth unconsciously slipping into a smile. He was young, but he understood love when he saw it. It was just like it played out in fairy tale books.

So he decided to help. "Regina, I'd like a dagger."

Regina glanced down at him, a bit shocked. "I'm sure Marcellus has one-"

"I'd like my  _own_ dagger," he corrected. "Can we buy one from the elf who always sets up his stand outside the armory? Please?"

"I don't think Father would-"

"I won't tell him if you don't."

He was surprised she had resisted, Samuel assumed the whole point of being in love was that you  _wanted_ to be with the person you were in love with. Regina relented, pulling him over to the stand with a heavy sigh. He saw a trace of excitement in her expression. He grinned.

The elf had always struck him as a bit odd. He had odd markings on his face, something Samuel hadn't seen on the elves who lived in the dark, dingy part of town. He'd have to ask Regina to explain once she was done looking at the man that way Lucienne looks at fancy dresses.

"My younger brother wants a dagger," She explained after a moment of hesitation. "I want the finest you can produce."

The elf whose face had turned a bright red the moment Regina approached, nodded hurriedly. "Of course, of course. I do have lots of options perhaps you'd like to inspect them all..?"

Samuel furrowed his brow and nodded. "I think I'd like to inspect  _every_ dagger you to have offer."

"Sam-" Regina started.

Samuel looked back, his face perfectly innocent. "I want to be entirely sure I'm getting the best product for your money. Father taught me to be careful."

Regina sighed. "This is what I get for buying you a present."

Samuel grinned, watching as the elf laid out the daggers. He picked one up, pretending to be extremely interested in it. He was a bit disappointed when they both remained entirely silent as he did so.

"Your bows are nice too," he decided to say finally. "Regina, why don't you buy a bow?" He looked up to the elf. "My sister is an excellent archer. I've noticed her staring at your stand just about every time we've come to the market. I'd be right to assume she's looking at your bows." He turned to his sister and flashed her a bright smile. "Right?"

Regina's face had turned red to match the elf's. "Err...Samuel look at the daggers."

"You know, I'd be happy to show you some bows if you'd like," the elf offered, his voice giving away his obvious anxiety.

 

* * *

 

**9:23 Dragon**

"Come with me.”

Eliel reached out and took Regina’s hands in his own. Regina could feel the way his shook. He was scared, rightfully so.

”Maker forgive me,” she whispered. She couldn’t meet his eyes, not now.

His grip on her tightened, she could hear the way his voice wavered. “Regina, I love you.”

Regina tore her hands from his, it felt like her heart was breaking apart in her chest. “You’re an abomination, Eliel.”

A mage. Her lovely Eliel was a mage.

She didn’t see his face. She was thankful for that. “If the templars catch up with me, I won’t tell them anything about you. I know you have a reputation to uphold.”

Maker help her. Maker forgive her. Maker help Eliel.

Regina broke down crying hidden behind the Ostwick stand where she once bought her younger brother a dagger.

 

* * *

 

**9:24 Dragon**

The Maker was cruel to have allowed his most loyal to fall to such temptation. To allow her to dirty her perfect soul with such a terrible sin as if she were some common scoundrel. She could not blame him though, for her years as a sister in the Chantry she had many times preached of how the Maker worked in strange ways. Perhaps this, her sin that filled her with guilt and remorse, was his way or testing her.

She truly hoped so. For if not, she was certain that upon her death she would be cast into darkness far from the light of the Maker and his bride Andraste.

Regina Trevelyan stared into eyes of her Father. Even if The Maker was merciful, the judgment her Father would pass certainly wouldn’t be. Bann Trevelyan had hardly betrayed any trace of emotion since the conversation began, merely stared at his daughter allowing her to speak. The only indication that he was feeling anything at all way the way he clenched his desk so hard his knuckles began to turn white.

Regina felt herself begin to shake. She internally begged Andraste to give her the strength to continue. “Please, I need this to remain a secret. Mother Violet would be so disappointed in me. I’d likely have to leave the Chantry with the rumors that would pop up.” She hung her head. “That’s not even mentioning the shame I’ve brought upon you and our family, I’m sorry.”

Bann opened his mouth as if he intended to speak, but no words came out. Regina’s heart sank. Time went by excruciatingly slow until Bann finally spoke. “You’re with child.”

She nodded. “I’m not sure how far along, but it hasn’t been long since…”

“Since the child was conceived,” Bann finished, Regina nodded again. “Conceived with a _dalish elf_.” Bann stood, his calm façade finally fading as anger began to fill his voice. “My righteous daughter, sister in the Chantry, pregnant with the child of a dalish _mage._ That hardly counts as another person, Regina. Anybody else…Anybody at all.”

“I’m sorry, Father,” Regina mumbled staring down at her feet. “I allowed myself to fall to temptation. I hate myself for what I’ve done, I truly do. I never intended to bring shame to our family.”

“If anybody gets ahold of this information we’ll be the laughing stick of Ostwick,” Bann said coldly. “And poor Marcellus, what will the other Templars say about him?”

“I never meant–” Regina began, but she was swiftly cut off.

“I’ll inform the servants you’re ill and you’re not to be bothered. I’ll write the Ostwick Chantry to explain you’ve grown terribly ill and will need to remain home for longer than originally intended. You will go to your room and you will stay there until the child is born,” Bann paused, clearly thinking about his next words carefully. “The abomination will be killed.”

Regina’s blood ran cold. “Killed? Father we could send the child to be raised by the Dalish. Nobody will ever have to know!”

Bann glared at her. “Go to your room Regina, you’re in no position to argue.”

He was right, Regina realized, she had given him all the power in the world over her. Without another word she turned out of her Father’s study the beginning of tears welling up in her eyes.

The sin was hers, not the baby growing inside her. The baby, not the abomination. The baby.

 _Maker please'_ she begged in her desperation. _‘Please do not punish my unborn child for my mistakes.’_

 

* * *

 

 **9:25 Dragon**

Samuel spent much of his time in the garden. He was told his Mother, Charlotte, had simply adored the gardens while she was alive. Each and every flower, every tree, every blade of grass, it was all the result of her detailed design. In her absence, Samuel’s sister Lucienne had made most of the decisions surrounding the garden. She did not have very good taste in Samuel’s opinion, the gardens grew less and less familiar to him with each passing day.

“I’m trying to make it look like one of the gardens I saw while visiting Orlais,” Lucienne explained as the two sat looked over the vast garden. “Had you decided to come, you’d probably be more keen on the garden’s current design. It’s in a rocky spot right now, but I promise as soon as it’s complete you’ll absolutely love it!”

“You didn’t have to change it,” Samuel replied. “It was beautiful the way it was.”

“It was outdated the way it was,” Lucienne waved her hand dismissively. “Just like the rest of this house. Like the rest of Ostwick in fact. Perhaps if you paid more attention to the sights when Father is kind enough to take you with him on his trips you’d understand.”

Samuel wasn’t sure that he wanted to laugh or cry. Father taking him on those trips was anything but kind, not that he would ever share that with Lucienne. Instead, he elected to change the subject. “Have you seen Andorra? I haven’t seen her since breakfast.”        

“She’s out riding with that Marius boy again,” Lucienne responded, distaste evident in her voice as she brought up the boy Andorra had recently become so fond of. “They’re training I believe. Joining the Templars will be good for her, but I wish she’d choose better company for practicing. I’m sure Marcellus could find her another young recruit.”

“I think Marius is very good with a sword.” SAmuel felt Lucienne’s eyes drilling into him as he spoke. He wanted to flinch away and hide. His sister could be very intimidating if she wanted to despite her small stature.

She huffed. “Perhaps, but regardless Lucienne should find herself more…appropriate company.”

Lucienne thought Andorra was planning on wedding Marius. It was almost funny to Samuel, who had unwittingly managed to find where Andorra’s interest truly lay. He’d keep her secret, he knew he had a bigger one of his own.

“A baker’s son is not appropriate?” Samuel laughed softly. “Yet your fiancé who spends all his time across the sea bedding prostitutes is?”

For a moment, he was entirely certain Lucienne would push him off the balcony into the gardens he loved so much. From the look on her face, it appeared she really was considering it. Instead, she turned to hide her reddening face behind a shield of curly blonde hair. “Phillip has work in his homeland, there’s no need to be so crude Samuel. I understand your desire to protect Andorra, but I hardly think insulting the integrity of my future husband is the way to go about it.”

Samuel shrugged. “Phillip finds ways to insult his own integrity.”

“Phillip is lovely,” Lucienne snapped. “His family is well known and respected throughout Antiva and Orlais. His proposal has already become quite popular in the gossip mills if I’ve heard correctly. Our marriage will be wonderful no matter what you think of him.”

“I find it odd all _you_ think of him is his status and the prestige it gets you with the other nobles,” Samuel retorted. “Honestly Lucy, you hardly know him.”

“I know him more than you do!” Lucienne practically cried before dramatically strutting back into the house.

Samuel sighed, staring out at the setting sun. Andorra would owe him for defending her friend even if she didn’t ask him to. Regardless of whether or not he had been wanting to insult Lucienne’s fiancé since the day he proposed, she owed him. Lucienne wouldn’t be letting this go anytime soon and he didn’t doubt he’d have to deal with a lengthy rant about it later.

The sun reflected off the pond in the center of the gardens making the water appear to be made of crystals. It would have been beautiful had Samuel not been so upset. Perhaps his outburst at Lucienne hadn’t all been due to his distaste for Phillip and his respect for Marius.

He’d be going to Tevinter again tomorrow.

It didn’t matter what he said, how much he pleaded with his father, in the end he would never win. In a few day’s time he and his father would be in Tevinter under the guise of a business trip. They’d take an unmarked ship and take every measure to hide their appearance when they docked. He’d then be brought to a large, intimidating castle he had never learned the name of and…

Samuel scrunched his eyes shut, trying his best to block out the memories. Tevinter was a terrible place, he completely understood the stigma against it. Nothing good ever happened when he was there. Nothing. Father said this was for the greater good, but when they left Samuel never felt anything but empty.

It was his fault, at the end of the day. That’s what he’d been told at least. His fault for being born a mage, for allowing his magic to mature and turn him into a weapon. If he was not brought to Tevinter to be treated for this terrible disease, he’d be stuck in the Ostwick Circle with the other abominations. If he did not suppress the evil inside of him, he would never find anything but evil and darkness. He would become just as demented as the Tevinter mages who performed the painful treatments that filled Samuel’s head with fog and put his magic just out of reach.

“I’ll see you tomorrow!”

He heard Andorra yell from under the balcony followed by the gentle tapping of hooves. He opened his eyes again just in time to see Marius riding away.

“Andorra!” He called out just loud enough for her to hear. “Do watch out for Lucienne, she’s irritable.”

“Samuel?” He heard Andorra stumble around a bit, obviously trying to find him.

"Balcony.”

She stepped back, just into view, saw him, and smiled. “What did you do to upset her this time?”

“Insinuated her charming fiancé is sleeping with prostitutes while he’s in Antiva,” Samuel responded barely containing his laughter. Andorra however, let a grin slip.

“I’m sure she appreciated that,” Andorra replied sarcastically. “I know I’ll appreciate hearing her whine about it for the next year.”

Samuel laughed. “It’ll be the next ten.”

He felt a numb sort of sadness wash over him again as soon as Andorra went inside. He expected she’d race up to his room to catch him on the balcony soon enough, but until then he was again completely alone in his thoughts. He clenched a gloved hand into a fist, the Maker was cruel to have cursed him like this.

* * *

 

 

 **9:26 Dragon**

The day of Lucienne’s wedding was unfortunately quite rainy, she was not taking it very well.

The Trevelyans were staying at the family villa in Val Royeaux for the wedding. It was small compared to the looming castle Samuel was used to, but otherwise, he quite liked it. It was scarcely used aside from when Bann travelled to Orlais for business and, honestly, Samuel wasn’t sure why his father wasted so much money keeping a property that remained vacant most of the year. Despite that though, Samuel enjoyed his time here. At least, he enjoyed it here when Lucienne wasn’t absolutely losing her mind.

“It’s supposed to be an _outside_ wedding!” She shrieked so loudly Samuel was shocked the glass windows around her didn’t shatter. “How is it supposed to be an outside wedding if it _rains_? Do you have any idea who’s coming today? We might as well have the empress herself at our doorstep!”

“Lucy, the girl can’t control the weather. Don’t take your frustrations out on her.” The servant Lucienne had been yelling at looked incredibly grateful for Regina’s intervention. Samuel’s eardrums were relieved as well.

Lucienne hid her face in her hands. “Oh Regina, everything is going wrong!”

Samuel couldn’t help but feel bad for his sister despite her outbursts. She’d been planning this day for over a year now, the idea that it could be ruined for her by something as simple as rain just felt wrong. She may act like a bit of a brat, but he knew how much this meant to her. It hurt to see it ruined.

Regina embraced her younger sister in a tight hug. “Everything will be alright dear, don’t worry about a thing. Magdalena and Marcellus are both calling in favors to see if we can have the event moved somewhere you’d enjoy, alright?”

Lucienne broke into tears shoving her face into Regina’s shoulder. The messenger, still huddled in the corner, looked like she’d been struck across the face.

Samuel sighed, quietly picking himself up off the couch and sneaking backwards into the room he’d claimed upon arrival. He really did feel bad for Lucienne just as he felt bad for Regina for having to deal with her while she was like this. Despite how terrible he felt for his sister, he had been kept up almost the entire night prior by both Lucienne who had forced him out shopping after she found he was wearing the same old suit he always wore to events – a suit Samuel personally thought was very nice, but he wasn’t willing to fight his sister on the fact – and Andorra who had insisted he simply had to to explore the city with her. He sighed as he fell down into bed. Why couldn’t his sisters have just let it sleep? More so, why couldn’t the maker have just waited one more day before letting it rain? Let Lucienne have the perfect, sunny wedding she’d been planning so Samuel could finally be done hearing about it.

He hadn’t been laying down for more than few minutes before his door flew open and Andorra stomped in. “I swear to the Maker I hate it here!”

Samuel glanced up. “I think it’s nice!”

“It’s _awful!_ ” Andorra snapped back. “Not only has Lucienne been whining all this time, I just ran into a mage! Just roaming out on the street with a staff strapped to his back like he was meant to be here!” Had Samuel not known better, he’d have thought his blood turned to ice. “Of course others were giving him looks, who would want something like that just roaming the streets…but nobody did anything about it! Can you believe they just tolerate that sort of thing here? That would never happen in Ostwick.”

There was a large part of Samuel that almost wanted to laugh at the irony. “Don’t tell Lucy, it’ll just make her day that much worse. Knowing an evil mage is just roaming around on the day of her wedding.”

Andorra sighed sitting down on the bed next to her brother. “It’s not just that. I just…It feels like I’m being judged for every little move I make so much more than at home. I’m almost afraid to walk down the street. Honestly, I don’t know how that mage did it, he certainly knew he was at the center of everyone’s judgment. I’d never have been able to do that.”

“He was very brave,” Samuel commented. “Or very foolish.”

Andorra laughed. “I’d expect a bit of both. I wonder where his circle is.”

“Maybe he was an apostate,” Samuel suggested making his sister’s face twist in disgust.

“Perhaps I’d better tell Marcellus then,” she replied. “He’d love an opportunity to make himself look so good. Going to his sister’s wedding only to return having returned an apostate to the circles.”

“The Knight-Vigilant lives in Val Royeaux, remember?” Samuel sighed. “He’ll be in chains before Marcellus even knows there’s a mage.”

Samuel shrugged vacantly. “I really am tired Andorra; can I please rest?”

Andorra seemed a bit surprised, but obliged him. “Of course, sorry for bothering you.”

Samuel didn’t reply, shutting his eyes and pressing himself harder into his pillow to try and drown out the sounds of his thoughts. His mage hating future templar of a best friend and sister had sent his mind spiraling. Of course she’d be disgusted to see a mage on the streets of Val Royeaux, any decent person would. No doubt the mage in question would be facing serious punishment soon enough, but still, part of Samuel wished he could be like that. She blatantly unashamed of who he truly was…Samuel wished it was possible that he could be like that. He wished more than anything he could be like that.

He shut his eyes, focusing on the distant sounds of Lucienne whining. He was glad her wedding was today after all; it would give him something to think about.

 

* * *

 

Samuel wasn’t sure how long he managed to sleep, but he was finally awoken by a clap of thunder so loud the windowpanes shook. He sat up, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. Other than the sound of rain outside, the house was entirely silent.

 _‘I’m surprised Regina finally got Lucienne to calm down’_  Samuel slid out of bed running a hand through his auburn curls. He supposed he should get ready, he wasn’t sure how much longer he had until he was expected to be at the wedding, but he wasn’t willing to risk the tongue lashing he’d get for being late.

He stumbled to the closet, pulling out the new suit Lucienne had insisted he buy. According to her, it was the very latest in Orlesian fashion; he honestly couldn’t have cared less about that. His father would be happy at least. Bann was a man who cared very much about appearances and Samuel complete lack of caring had always bothered him more than a bit. Samuel assumed his dressing up would give Bann at least a bit of peace today.

After getting dressed and doing his best to make his hair presentable, his hands instinctively went for his gloves. Dark black leather, he hardly ever took them off. Normally only to change or shower. Lucienne had practically begged him not to wear them, something about the fact they'd clash with his outfit. She didn't know he wore them for her own good of course, wasn't aware that his very touch could send her spiraling into terrible visions and allowing Samuel access into her mind...but what she didn't know wouldn't hurt her he supposed. Maybe that was just wishful thinking.

He left the gloves off.

He wasn't sure what made him do so, but he passed it off as not wanting to deal with Lucienne's whining any longer. He had pockets he could shove his hands into for the wedding and he doubted it would be that difficult to avoid touching anybody in the first place. He walked up to his door preparing to open it when he heard Lucienne's yell. He was admittedly quite relieved; the silence was far too strange.

"I will not have  _that_ at my wedding."

"Lucienne, darling-"

"I don't know how  _you_ could be alright with this!"

Samuel shrank back away from the door, so Phillip was here; likely to discuss property last minute with Samuel’s father rather than deal with his stressed fiancée. Samuel had never been a fan of Phillip De Arvelo. He made it painfully clear that he did not care in the least bit about Lucienne, that his entire marriage to her was to increase the De Arvelo's notoriety and to gain more estates and allies in the Free Marches. Unfortunately, Samuel couldn't hate him too much without being a hypocrite considering Lucienne was marrying him for effectively the same reasons. That didn't change the fact Phillip was a generally unlikable, rude bastard, so it was alright to hate him for  _that_ reason.

 _'Perhaps...I should wait until someone calls me'_ he decided. The less time he spent with Phillip the better"

"A  _mage_ at _my_  wedding? What are people going to think?"

Samuel’s ears perked up. On the other hand, perhaps being near Phillip was a small price to pay to hear the rest of this conversation.

"They won't think any less of you," that was Bann's voice. "The elf is not here to attend the wedding, he is here to serve it. Slaves are not as unheard of here Lucienne-"

"I don't want-"

" _Darling_."

Samuel sighed, disappointment coursing through his veins. Part of him had hoped he'd get a chance to meet the apostate Lucienne had seen earlier, but he supposed not. Once again though, he enjoyed the irony of Lucienne shouting about a mage at her wedding when she had so readily had one on the guest lists since she'd begun her planning. He distantly heard Lucienne complain about the trend of slaves being "out of style" in Orlais, but he no longer cared to pay attention to the conversation.

What he was more interested in, was the way his head buzzed and his hands tingled.

_He can’t run any faster, but he needs to. His brother is running ahead of him. If either of them are caught, the hell they’ll be put through will be worse than anything they’ve ever experienced. He needs to run. They both need to run. Mages are dangerous, that’s what his Master said, but mages were also wonderful prizes for those who were willing to train them. He didn’t want to know what that meant._

_But he’s going to find out, because he’s fallen. His brother is still running. He is stuck in the dirt. A rough hand grabs the back of his shirt. His brother is still running._

Someone is holding Samuel’s hands when he fights his way out of a daze.

”You’re a mage.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This probably doesn't make a whole lot of sense without the context you'll get in the next chapter, whoops.
> 
> Since ages might be a little confusing because of timeskips:  
> Marcellus was born in 9:02 Dragon (24 as of the last timeskip)  
> Regina was born in 9:04 Dragon (22 as of the last timeskip)  
> Lucienne was born in 9:07 Dragon (19 as of the last timeskip)  
> Magdalena was born in 9:09 Dragon (17 as of the last timeskip)  
> Andorra was born in 9:11 Dragon (15 as of the last timeskip)  
> Samuel was born in 9:12 Dragon (14 as of the last timeskip)
> 
> This story will probably end around the time Samuel is 18!


End file.
